Month: December 2017

“What you do for free each day is that type of work you should be doing and people will love the quality of your love so much that they will gladly pay you well for what you do and what you know!” ~ Jon Barnes

Blessings

The blessings of God is in your life when you can see the honest balance of power and organization of faith in your personal walk and work for God.We don’t need titles to serve people with kindness, gladness, meekness, and humility. The truth about God is easy and simple.We do need the love of God to flow and blow down strongholds of evil that can block your good path when you are off task. Quickly accept God’s information and blessings that can come from family, friends, and enemies, but it is hard to do this when you are talking all of the time, which leaves you no time to recognize or receive the blessings. Close your mouth and pray more.

Be Quiet

Get to work and be quiet!I receive more blessing from cleaning, fixing, teaching, helping, and loving than talking and giving my opinions about life. I do not know anything, but God’s wisdom, because I threw my own fake thoughts of lies, lust, greed, power, and junk away. When I do talk, I am pointing to scriptures and stories that I know and continue to read each day to stay fit and spiritually in shape. I do not quote scriptures, I share the stories of them and live the example of what I have learned from them.Talk is cheap and useless without real love and action. Talking without good actions, motives, and intentions is called lying!

Freely Give

Freely give your tithes and offerings to God from you first fruits and 10 Percent of your increase and help to build and maintain a better church than your parents.New ideas are needed to attract new people and we can maintain the fundamental message and purpose of our mission from God, without compromise too. Our wisdom sits inside of growth, practice, sharing, loving, and caring for one another, which is always free and Good People are always willing to pay for that kind of excellence. Don’t be a cheapskate with your time, money, tithes, and offerings to God. Otherwise, you are paying for evil by default, because you are robbing God and financing the devil with your personal actions and thoughts.

Today’s Question

What is in your wallet BOC Bank of Christ or BOS Bank of satan?

Enjoy The Reading

Deuteronomy 19

Cities of Refuge

19 “When the Lord your God destroys the nations whose land he is giving you, you will take over their land and settle in their towns and homes.2 Then you must set apart three cities of refuge in the land the Lord your God is giving you.3 Survey the territory,[a] and divide the land the Lord your God is giving you into three districts, with one of these cities in each district. Then anyone who has killed someone can flee to one of the cities of refuge for safety.

4 “If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety.5 For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety.

6 “If the distance to the nearest city of refuge is too far, an enraged avenger might be able to chase down and kill the person who caused the death. Then the slayer would die unfairly, since he had never shown hostility toward the person who died.7 That is why I am commanding you to set aside three cities of refuge.

8 “And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised them,9 you must designate three additional cities of refuge. (He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you—if you always love the Lord your God and walk in his ways.)10 That way you will prevent the death of innocent people in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. You will not be held responsible for the death of innocent people.

11 “But suppose someone is hostile toward a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders him and then flees to one of the cities of refuge.12 In that case, the elders of the murderer’s hometown must send agents to the city of refuge to bring him back and hand him over to the dead person’s avenger to be put to death.13 Do not feel sorry for that murderer! Purge from Israel the guilt of murdering innocent people; then all will go well with you.

Concern for Justice

14 “When you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property.

15 “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

16 “If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime,17 then both the accuser and accused must appear before the Lord by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time.18 The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite,19 you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you.20 Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing.21 You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

“Rotate, log, blog, and be thankful for your daily actions you do so that you can see the progress God has given to you and your family.” ~ Jon Barnes

Opposite

You will notice the negative and positive things you do and say all of the time when you log and pay attention to what you personally say, do, and think each day. This is not rocket science. Your progress or digress becomes surprisingly obvious because the facts of what you do, say, save, and spend will hold you more accountable to yourself and to God. This will help you to see your personal accounts, so that you may move and grow in the right direction. Pay close attention to the negative things that you hold dearly too, get rid of them and replace old ways with better new ways of positive thinking from God.

Personal

Personal reflection should happen on a daily basis to analyze your biblical threads of wisdom in your daily walk with God.Your actions should walk along the lines of good work and daily production to inspire yourself to walk the narrow path with God. By focusing on your biblical reading and threads from each story, you will decree and discern the proper amount of discipline that is required to master good skills.You don’t have to overdo it. Just be honest. Teaching these good skills to your family as they watch and learn from you is more important than people realize. Or are you just a fraud, fake, a person like the wicked many?

Realization

The realization of blessing on your family and life becomes obvious in the great choices that you make each day to fight the devil as you rotate your strategies, plans, and biblical stories to fit your needs and the needs of others.God speaks to you through these stories so that you already know the plans of the devil and how to succeed, before you walk down the wrong road.Many people are fighting battles that are not there battles to fight and they are wasting away in a self-made black hole of darkness, substance abuse, negative behavior, and self-indulgence. Study your biblical content carefully so that you have some substance to rotate and think about in your life!

Today’s Question

Are you rotating your thinking around the wisdom of God and His Holy Lifestyle or are you rotating your destiny around your flawed thinking?

Enjoy The Reading

Deuteronomy 18

Gifts for the Priests and Levites

18 “Remember that the Levitical priests—that is, the whole of the tribe of Levi—will receive no allotment of land among the other tribes in Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites will eat from the special gifts given to the Lord, for that is their share.2 They will have no land of their own among the Israelites. The Lord himself is their special possession, just as he promised them.

3 “These are the parts the priests may claim as their share from the cattle, sheep, and goats that the people bring as offerings: the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach.4 You must also give to the priests the first share of the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and the wool at shearing time.5 For the Lord your God chose the tribe of Levi out of all your tribes to minister in the Lord’s name forever.

6 “Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the Lord chooses for worship.7 He may minister there in the name of the Lord his God, just like all his fellow Levites who are serving the Lord there.8 He may eat his share of the sacrifices and offerings, even if he also receives support from his family.

A Call to Holy Living

9 “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there.10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering.[a] And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft,11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead.12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you.13 But you must be blameless before the Lord your God.14 The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.”

True and False Prophets

15 Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.16 For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai.[b] You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’

17 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right.18 I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.20 But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’

21 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’22 If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.

“We tend to resist the good fruits, vegetables, nuts, and water, that we need to eat and drink from the bible because, we have to recognize how, when, where, and why God’s word will help us in all situations, which fights off the diseases from the wickedness of this world.”~Jon Barnes

Resist

Why do we resist the basic substance and nutritional value of God’s Common Sense approach to love, life, liberty, happiness, and understanding?There is no wisdom in being lazy, off task, and unproductive in work, communication, goals, and faith. People are not attracted to churches, schools, friends, family, or enemies unless there is a minimal amount of resistance to create a curious attraction.Perhaps we should let our Good Work from God contain no resistance from our minds, body, and hearts so that we can share and receive these obvious blessing from others.

Related

We are all related to one another and we can relate to natural stories that happen to us all around the world as human beings.As we examine our lives and the history of others, be quick to see the root of evil problems and habits that people are so quick to share and resist copying evil lifestyles and behaviors that may seem good on the surface. The poison beneath these evil conditions is self-made and man-made manufacturing practices, which are unnecessary and should be avoided.You must read, study, and then decide which life skills God is teaching you to exercise with each day of your life and develop better habits than your parents. You will honor your parents by doing so.If not, you dishonor them and God.

Respond

We respond to the call of faith and excellence each time we pray, live, and love God’s Word to the fullest and not just for capital gains selfish motives, or worldly benefits.Too often our motives in love are attached to what we will receive and benefit from said actions.You must fight to balance your good as a normal everyday thing that you must do because, that is who you are, regardless of the actions of others. When you talk too much, you do less work, falling short in your goals and fight for Good, Justice, and Honor in God. Let your love language of action be your response to God’s wisdom.

Today’s Question

Are you taking your battles personally or are you personally relying on God’s Grace and Wisdom to guide your tongue, work, words, and thoughts?

Enjoy the reading

Deuteronomy 17

17 “Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the Lord your God, for he detests such gifts.

2 “When you begin living in the towns the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman among you might do evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violate the covenant.3 For instance, they might serve other gods or worship the sun, the moon, or any of the stars—the forces of heaven—which I have strictly forbidden.4 When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,5 then the man or woman who has committed such an evil act must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death.6 But never put a person to death on the testimony of only one witness. There must always be two or three witnesses.7 The witnesses must throw the first stones, and then all the people may join in. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you.

8 “Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide—for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such legal cases to the place the Lord your God will choose,9 and present them to the Levitical priests or the judge on duty at that time. They will hear the case and declare the verdict.10 You must carry out the verdict they announce and the sentence they prescribe at the place the Lord chooses. You must do exactly what they say.11 After they have interpreted the law and declared their verdict, the sentence they impose must be fully executed; do not modify it in any way.12 Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the Lord your God must die. In this way you will purge the evil from Israel.13 Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid to act so arrogantly.

Guidelines for a King

14 “You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’15 If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.

16 “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’17 The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.

18 “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.19 He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

“Words have meanings, but your actions tell the true story, motives, results from the test of your love, that communicates the intentions of your heart.” ~ Jon Barnes

You Can

You can lie to yourself but you cannot lie to the fruit of your actions. You can say the words of repentance and keep doing the opposite based on your wonderful ability to cognitively lie to your mind and enslave your heart with evil. Your words mean nothing until you activate your faith, obey God, and connect with His Results and Plans. You are not a part of God’s Plan unless you work in God’s Plan.Planning to fail is like ignoring God’s lifestyle, Commandments, and stories. Planning for success is like doing the good work within God’s Plan and seeing the results of the seeds, work, fruit, trees, and crops of your labor.

Your Children

Your children are your crops and you must work the soil with your hands and the sweat of your brow, with pain and suffering, until you die.You will learn and feel what God experience when mankind does not listen to Biblical Instructions, just like your children disobey you. We truly get the experience of God as we raise our kids, teach others, and help those in need.The patience and long-suffering gained in this transaction, helps you to see and understand the meanings hidden in the biblical stories of old and true motives of God.

You Cannot

You cannot live the life of your child or make their decisions to know God, learn or improve an individual’s right standing with God. We must have the faith to work on our relationship and connect with God on our own merit. Value is placed on your words as you complete the work of each test you must take. Balancing work, faith, action, practice, and studies will look easy from the sidelines until you have to do the work. Many fail God’s vocabulary test and quizzes because they do not study or commit to the 10 Commandments and the word meanings. Let the true meanings of your words and work speak the Gospel of your life in your actions for all to see around you.

Today’s Question

Do you know your 10 Commandments?

Enjoy the Reading

Deuteronomy 16

Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread

16 “In honor of the Lord your God, celebrate the Passover each year in the early spring, in the month of Abib,[a] for that was the month in which the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.2 Your Passover sacrifice may be from either the flock or the herd, and it must be sacrificed to the Lord your God at the designated place of worship—the place he chooses for his name to be honored.3 Eat it with bread made without yeast. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread—the bread of suffering—so that as long as you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt.4 Let no yeast be found in any house throughout your land for those seven days. And when you sacrifice the Passover lamb on the evening of the first day, do not let any of the meat remain until the next morning.

5 “You may not sacrifice the Passover in just any of the towns that the Lord your God is giving you.6 You must offer it only at the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored. Sacrifice it there in the evening as the sun goes down on the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt.7 Roast the lamb and eat it in the place the Lord your God chooses. Then you may go back to your tents the next morning.8 For the next six days you may not eat any bread made with yeast. On the seventh day proclaim another holy day in honor of the Lord your God, and no work may be done on that day.

The Festival of Harvest

9 “Count off seven weeks from when you first begin to cut the grain at the time of harvest.10 Then celebrate the Festival of Harvest[b] to honor the Lord your God. Bring him a voluntary offering in proportion to the blessings you have received from him.11 This is a time to celebrate before the Lord your God at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be honored. Celebrate with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites from your towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you.12 Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, so be careful to obey all these decrees.

The Festival of Shelters

13 “You must observe the Festival of Shelters[c] for seven days at the end of the harvest season, after the grain has been threshed and the grapes have been pressed.14 This festival will be a happy time of celebrating with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows from your towns.15 For seven days you must celebrate this festival to honor the Lord your God at the place he chooses, for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and gives you success in all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all.

16 “Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him.17 All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lordyour God.

Justice for the People

18 “Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.19 You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly.20 Let true justice prevail, so you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

21 “You must never set up a wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build for the Lord your God.22 And never set up sacred pillars for worship, for the Lord your God hates them.

“If we treat food like medicine, we can heal our bodies with God’s Good stuff.”~ Jon Barnes

Offended

Stop being offended by someone’s message, blessing, or food that doesn’t belong to you. If you can’t eat that meat, be quiet, be still, and leave it alone on the table. Take the mild milk you need until you grow some teeth. Try using a blender if it helps you to swallow the truth.

Miserable

Stop blaming God for your miserable choices that have plagued your life of disobedience and start praying and working to correct your mistakes of laziness towards God and the Good Work you should be doing. Help people find God through your basic lifestyle of love, kindness, and food choices.

Treatment

If we treat the Bible like Real Food from God, then we can be blessed at all times, forever! Grow the proper perspective of God with each meal you eat, listen to, and study the scriptures. Your perspective is quite clear in your choice of action, not just words and fake gestures! The more time you spend using God’s commandments, your love will overflow onto others. The more means you become, the less God we see because you have changed your diet to junk food.

Today’s Question

How do you make yourself crave the Good Stuff when you don’t open the Bible to read it?

Enjoy The Reading

Deuteronomy 15

Release for Debtors

15 “At the end of every seventh year you must cancel the debts of everyone who owes you money.2 This is how it must be done. Everyone must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the Lord’s time of release has arrived.3 This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow Israelites—not to the foreigners living among you.

4 “There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession.5 You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today.6 The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you.

7 “But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them.8 Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need.9 Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin.10 Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.11 There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.

Release for Hebrew Slaves

12 “If a fellow Hebrew sells himself or herself to be your servant[a] and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must set that servant free.

13 “When you release a male servant, do not send him away empty-handed.14 Give him a generous farewell gift from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Share with him some of the bounty with which the Lord your God has blessed you.15 Remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you! That is why I am giving you this command.

16 “But suppose your servant says, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and your family, and he has done well with you.17 In that case, take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door. After that, he will be your servant for life. And do the same for your female servants.

18 “You must not consider it a hardship when you release your servants. Remember that for six years they have given you services worth double the wages of hired workers, and the Lord your God will bless you in all you do.

Sacrificing Firstborn Male Animals

19 “You must set aside for the Lord your God all the firstborn males from your flocks and herds. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work your fields, and do not shear the firstborn of your flocks.20 Instead, you and your family must eat these animals in the presence of the Lord your God each year at the place he chooses.21 But if this firstborn animal has any defect, such as lameness or blindness, or if anything else is wrong with it, you must not sacrifice it to the Lordyour God.22 Instead, use it for food for your family in your hometown. Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat it, just as anyone may eat a gazelle or deer.23 But you must not consume the blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water.

It is

Having a relationship with God logistically isn’t difficult. Think about it. Reading the Bible, praying, treating others with kindness– these aren’t difficult things. Yet, there’s never enough time to pray or read, which are vital essentials to that relationship. Even better, we tell ourselves we have valid reasons as to why we aren’t doing these things. Funnily enough, many of us are well-read on what’s going on in social media, but we haven’t the faintest clue of what’s in the book of Luke.

What it is

We’re prone to overcomplicating/ over-reasoning why we don’t achieve what it is we need to do. Whether it’s cleaning up your room or spending time reading the Bible, everyone is guilty of throwing out a reason as to why the work was left undone. Then we feel bad, as though the guilt is enough to absolve us from our lukewarm relationship with Christ. Honesty is a tough pill to swallow. In order to get to know God, completing our missions and objectives are crucial. As I work on being black and white on how I spend my time, I find myself unburdened by anxiety when I honestly account for my day-to-day activities. I’ve learned that bottom line, I’ve either done the work or I didn’t because I didn’t want to. Nothing more and nothing less.

Today’s Question

Are you being intentional in your time with God or are you tired?

Enjoy the reading

Deuteronomy 14 NIV

Clean and Unclean Food

1You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead,

2for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.

3Do not eat any detestable thing.

4These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,

5the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep.

6You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.

7However, of those that chew the cud or that have a divided hoof you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you.

8The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.

9Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales.

10But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean.

11You may eat any clean bird.

12But these you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture,

13the red kite, the black kite, any kind of falcon,

14any kind of raven,

15the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,

16the little owl, the great owl, the white owl,

17the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant,

18the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.

19All flying insects are unclean to you; do not eat them.

20But any winged creature that is clean you may eat.

21Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to the foreigner residing in any of your towns, and they may eat it, or you may sell it to any other foreigner. But you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

22Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.

23Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.

24But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away),

25then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose.

26Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice.

27And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

28At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns,

29so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

“We all have gifts that we can fully tap into and hone, the trouble lies when we focus on the gifts of others, rather our own.”

Haves

The haves are those who keep their eyes on the prize, unyielding in the work that God has set before them. Rain or shine, they understand what is at stake when it comes to getting the job done. Publicly we see the reaping of their hard work, which looks effortless to those who are unwise.

Have-nots

The have-nots are those who have their eyes on everything but the prize, blaming setbacks and troubles as the reason why they have not completed their work for God. Instead, they gnash their teeth in envy and resentment, convinced that the haves are plotting against them, rather than looking in the mirror. Publicly, we seem them making every excuse as to why they’re struggling.

Trading Teams

If you find yourself on “team Have-nots” fortunately for us, God gives us a renewed spirit each and every day. It is up to us to tap into that source, to persevere and press on in our paths. Trade up to “team Haves” today.

Today’s Question

Are you utilizing God’s daily grace to stay on the haves team?

Enjoy the Reading

Deuteronomy 13

Worshiping Other Gods

1If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder,

2and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,”

3you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

4It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

5That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.

6If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known,

7gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other),

8do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them.

9You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people.

10Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

11Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.

12If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in

13that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known),

14then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,

15you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock.

16You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt,

17and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors—

18because you obey the LORD your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.